Driving an Automatic Bus

[Ex Tempe Fox]

I'm really getting annoyed by persons that say a bus driver has to have driven a manual. To provide a quality ride. I'm for one is a disgrace driving a manual, Why because I was taught in an auto car and then ended up with a 16 year career with STA. I did the Leyland's with those semi auto shifts which was good. But driving an auto it seems I'm defective for those who think the 3rd pedal is the way to go. Now based in Melbourne and almost 25 years driving buses I have never had a complaint about my driving other than running late when stuck in traffic with the punter who complains. I do know how to use the retarders and exhaust thing and braking. I do know how to roll up to a red light or a traffic queue. When driving in service the t/table is a bunch of numbers if early wait at timing point if late just drive don't panic as over the years I've seen a few new drivers burnout over t/tables. Got my license in 1976 because Mum and I had the same ADO and my stepdad took us to the RTA " ADO as well" was taking her to get her "Ls" so I tagged along. Thanks to Mum we learned auto and arranged lessons and to think about it if for that I was not really interested in a Licence. And within this time I have never had an infringement.
I see work mates doing silly things they can drive manuals for the T/T Why worry we have a fat in our T/T .
I'm sorry if I bored you it just gets to me those who panic around being late.

[rogf24]

Manual vehicles consume less fuel. For a company operating a fleet of over 1000 buses, it all adds up.

[PoweredByCNG]

Yes, but manual buses go through clutches, no matter how good your drivers are.

[Alstom 888M]

There are many drivers where I work who are unable to drive a manual. As far as manuals go in cars these days, I reckon they're pointless unless you drive a performance car, and even then they are decreasing in relevance especially in european models as paddle-shift semi-automatics get better and better. I own a VW with a DSG and I have to say semi-autos have come a long way compared to what BMW had 10 years ago.

[boronia]

Driving automatics is definitely an advantage when negotiating city traffic conditions.

But they dumb down driving skills, and maybe even alertness, along with many other driving "aids" which can even cause distraction.

[3805]

After many years of driving automatic cars, mainly because my wife won't drive manual, I recently purchased a manual car. Yes, my wife has her own car which is an automatic. My point is that I found that these new computer-controlled automatics rubbish. The car never seemed to be in the right gear for the situation either revving too high or too low. I was told that the gearbox was "adaptive" to my driving style. What a load of crap. I started driving it in manual-mode, changing the gears myself. However, if the computer decided that it didn't want that gear change, then it wouldn't do it.

I hankered for an old-school car that had as few computers on it as possible. A real manual gearbox. And a diesel engine. So I got my self a new Land Rover Defender. Full length ladder chassis, riveted aluminium body. And a real gearbox. The fact that it goes over and through everything is a bonus. Best car I've ever driven. Kind of reminds me of those old English buses I used to drive...

[GazzaOak]

Driving manual would be annoying in city traffic

That why most, if not all buses should be auto..... I would learn manual just for having an skill, but however i would use auto whenever i can..... because of city traffic

[Rclasstramcar]

Manual vehicles consume less fuel. For a company operating a fleet of over 1000 buses, it all adds up.

How so? Please explain.

Ben

[Bedford-29]

The best example with the use of manual gearboxes in heavy traffic would be Japan and city buses in Tokyo have used manual gearbox buses on bus route throughout the city and everyone knows what Tokyo traffic is like.

[B10BLE]

Manual vehicles consume less fuel. For a company operating a fleet of over 1000 buses, it all adds up.

How so? Please explain.

Ben

It's the same as cars, automatics use more fuel, manuals a little less.

[boronia]

The best example with the use of manual gearboxes in heavy traffic would be Japan and city buses in Tokyo have used manual gearbox buses on bus route throughout the city and everyone knows what Tokyo traffic is like.

I was last in Tokyo about 10 years ago, and many of the buses I rode in were manuals, but with "comfort shift" electric remote change

[ajw373]

It's the same as cars, automatics use more fuel, manuals a little less.

In the past this was true, but modern autos can and do use less fuel.

My Feb 2011 Camry being one such example. Toyota canned the manual Camry in the 2011 mid year refersh.

[captainch]

well gov't bus drivers in sydney drove manuals for over 50 years in heavy peak hour traffic and got ppl to work/school/ect with out any problems! to become a govt bus driver you HAD to drive a crash box to get your lience!

[3805]

^ If that were a requirement today, the Department would loose 9 out of every 10 drivers. And come to think of it, those crash boxes were quite good to drive, once you got used to whether it was a quick change or slow change as all were different.

[captainch]

yes we call those 9 out of 10 drivers "INSTANT DRIVERS".

[Shoudy Chen]

Automatic Transmissions run differently between Voith and ZF. The ZF is much better than Voith Buses because when I hopped on a O405NH bus with a 4-speed Auto transmission with Voith, it screeched out as it zipped from 1st to 2nd gear. OC500LE buses with ZF Ecomat is better than the O405NH as it has more gears and that the gear ratio is much lower than Voith. But the thing about Ecomat is that is it squeals out from 2nd to 3rd gear. In fact, zippy Volvo buses with ZF Ecolife is by far the best as it has a quieter take-off speed from 1st to 2nd. Ecolife gear ratios are much lower than Ecomat.